The result of that was a show that is, in a lot of ways, nothing more than fine. As far as fantasy shounen is concerned, this doesn't add anything particularly new to the genre, doesn't particularly improve upon the faults of some similar shows, and clearly didn't leave any kind of impact on the wider community. Its story is more or less what you expect, with twists that generally work well, but are rarely hugely surprising if you've seen a moderate amount of the genre. Its characters are simple, likeable enough, with some depth but certainly not masterpieces of human writing. The action is solid, great in some places, but unremarkable in others. The ending is solid enough given the show doesn't even adapt half of the Light Novels, and gives enough closure that I don't feel overly disappointed that we're unlikely to ever see the rest adapted, but it doesn't do anything especially bold. It's an absolutely unremarkable show in so many ways.
But the undercurrent of all that, really, is that when I say unremarkable, I mean it very literally. There isn't much to remark on. But that doesn't actually mean the show is bad. In reality, it's actually a very entertaining bit of fantasy shounen, with a story that's easy to follow, characters who are easy to watch, action exciting enough. It's a perfectly competent, solidly put together show. And just because I don't have much else to say about it doesn't mean I didn't have a good time watching it.
I came into this show off the back of 'Cowboy Bebop' and 'Planetes', two fantastic, artistically-charged works that push the boundaries of their genres and their medium, works that left an impact that we can still see in modern anime. But not every show has to be 'Cowboy Bebop'. Sometimes, they're allowed to be 'Tokyo Ravens'; competent, enjoyable, unremarkable, but ultimately worthwhile entertainment.
